As a Shopify store owner or an ecommerce agency, providing customers with options can significantly improve the shopping experience. Offering choices like subscriptions, pre-orders, product customizations, or personalized purchases can be a game-changer for customer satisfaction and revenue. But which Shopify apps are best for setting up these advanced purchase options?
This guide will introduce you to 8 of the best Shopify purchase options apps available today. We’ll cover each app’s key features, who they’re best for, and how they can help boost your conversions, improve customer experience, and increase your average order value (AOV). Whether you run a small boutique or a large ecommerce store, these apps will help make your.
81% of Shopify purchases are made via mobile devices, highlighting its mobile-first design.( Source )
What Are Shopify Purchase Options Apps?
Shopify purchase options apps are tools designed to give your customers more flexibility in how they buy products from your store. These apps allow you to go beyond the basic “buy now” model and offer different purchasing experiences like subscriptions, pre-orders, custom product options, or even try-before-you-buy features.
Here’s how they help your store:
Customization
Apps allow customers to personalize products with options like engraving, color choices, and other customizations. This is especially useful for industries like apparel, home decor, or gifts.
Pre-orders and Backorders
These apps let customers purchase products that are out of stock or not yet released, ensuring you don’t lose sales even when inventory is low.
Subscriptions
You can offer subscriptions for products that are consumed on a recurring basis, such as beauty products, food, or supplements. This helps improve customer retention and boosts recurring revenue.
In short, these apps provide ecommerce store owners with the ability to enhance the customer experience, improve sales, and offer unique purchase models to fit their business needs.
Why Purchase Options Are Important for Ecommerce Stores
Offering flexible purchase options can be the key to standing out in a crowded ecommerce market. These apps provide much-needed versatility to both customers and store owners, enhancing the overall shopping experience and increasing store profitability. Here’s why purchase options are so important:
1. Improved Customer Experience
Customers love flexibility. Giving them the option to customize products, opt for subscriptions, or choose to pre-order a product gives them more control over their purchasesCustomization, for example, lets customers feel more connected to the product by making it uniquely theirs. Apps like Globo Product Options or Infinite Options let customers add personal touches like engraving or specific color selections, which is a huge draw for many buyers
2. Increased Average Order Value (AOV)
Purchase options apps can directly influence your bottom line by boosting average order value (AOV). Customization options often come with additional fees for upgrades, which allow you to charge extra for premium features like added text, extra accessories, or personalized packagingApps like Bold Product Options allow for conditional logic where you can show or hide options depending on the customer’s selections, leading to a more tailored and personalized product with an increased price
3. Building Customer Loyalty with Subscriptions
Subscription services encourage repeat purchases and build long-term customer relationships. If you sell consumable products like coffee, beauty products, or household goods, adding a subscription option guarantees future sales. Apps like Recharge Subscriptions make it easy to offer subscriptions and manage recurring ordersNot only does this create consistent revenue, but it also keeps customers engaged with your brand.
4. Keeping Sales Active During Stock Shortages
With pre-order and backorder options, you don’t lose out on sales due to stock limitations. Apps like Product Customizer let you offer these purchase options seamlessly, allowing customers to buy items that are either not yet available or temporarily out of stockThis feature ensures you capture potential sales even when inventory is low, keeping customers happy and engaged.
Read More:9 Top Custom Storefront Apps for Shopify
Top 8 Shopify Purchase Options Apps
Here’s a rundown of 8 top Shopify purchase options apps that ecommerce store owners and agencies can use to enhance the shopping experience, increase conversions, and boost customer satisfaction. Each app has unique features that cater to different needs, from simple customizations to robust subscription options.
1. infinite options by shoppad
This app is one of the most popular choices for stores needing unlimited product customizations. It allows you to bypass Shopify’s 100-variant limit, offering features like text boxes, dropdowns, checkboxes, and file uploads for product personalization.
- Key Features: Unlimited custom fields, conditional logic, product bundling.
- Pros: Easy to use, flexible setup, and integrates well with other Shopify apps.
- Cons: Manual installation required, though they offer a $20 installation service.
- Price: $8.99/month, with a 14-day free trial.
2. Globo Product Options
Globo helps ecommerce store owners overcome Shopify’s built-in variant limits. It provides endless options for customization, including color swatches, file uploads, and text fields, making it great for stores offering personalized products.
- Key Features: Supports conditional logic, real-time price updates, easy import/export via CSV files.
- Pros: Simple integration, great customer support, dynamic option previews.
- Cons: Occasional glitches during theme updates.
- Price: Free version available, paid plans start at $9.90/month.
Read More:Top 6 Best Shopify Mobile App Builders for Your Store
3. Bold Product Options
Bold is well-known for its feature-rich customization capabilities, perfect for stores that require complex product personalization. This app allows you to offer extra options for upsells or add-ons like gift wrapping, engraving, or accessories.
- Key Features: Conditional logic, add-on pricing, custom product templates.
- Pros: Highly customizable, great for upselling, strong support for multiple variants.
- Cons: Can be pricey for small stores; some users report a steeper learning curve.
- Price: Starts at $19.99/month.
4. Variant Option Product Options by Best
This app offers a wide range of customization options, including image uploads, color swatches, and more. It’s ideal for store owners looking to improve product pages and enhance the buying experience.
- Key Features: Supports custom text boxes, checkboxes, radio buttons, and image swatches.
- Pros: Easy-to-use templates, flexible logic for conditional product options.
- Cons: Limited in design customization.
- Price: Free.
Read More:12 Best Shopify Retail Apps: Top Products Apps on the Shopify App Store
5. Product Customizer
Product Customizer is great for stores that need easy-to-install purchase options. You can customize variants with options like date pickers, text fields, and file uploads. The app also offers product templates for quicker setup.
- Key Features: Date picker, custom text fields, template creation for easy reuse.
- Pros: User-friendly, integrates well with PageFly and other Shopify tools.
- Cons: Manual code installation can be tricky; some users experience sync issues with certain Shopify themes
- Price: Starts at $19.99/month, 14-day free trial available.
6. Product Personalizer
Product Personalizer stands out for its live preview feature, allowing customers to see their customizations in real-time. This makes it especially useful for stores selling personalized items like apparel or accessories.
- Key Features: Live preview, custom CSS for design adjustments, multilingual support.
- Pros: Easy to install, great for personalized products, dynamic customization options.
- Cons: Limited options for bulk orders.
- Price: Starts at $9.99/month, with a 14-day free trial.
Read More:7 Best Shopify Sales Channels Apps – Shopify App Store
7. Live Product Options by Cloudlift
This app offers a live preview of product options as customers make selections, which is perfect for stores that want to enhance the user experience with real-time visuals. It also supports multi-currency options, making it great for international stores.
- Key Features: Unlimited product options, conditional logic, live preview, multi-currency support.
- Pros: No theme modification needed, customizable language translations.
- Cons: Higher pricing tiers can be expensive for smaller stores.
- Price: Starts at $9/month.
8. King Product Options & Variant
King Product Options is ideal for stores selling handcrafted or unique products that require lots of customization options. It supports unlimited variants and integrates well with features like the Ajax Cart and Shopify’s “Buy Now” button.
- Key Features: Unlimited options, supports Ajax Cart and Buy Now.
- Pros: Seamless integration with Shopify themes, excellent customer support.
- Cons: Occasional functionality issues with advanced features.
- Price: Free, with additional paid features.
Read More:10 Top Shopify Apps for Order Fulfillment
How to Choose the Right Purchase Options App
With so many Shopify purchase options apps available, it’s important to know which one will best suit your store’s unique needs. Here’s what you should consider when making your choice:
1. Customization Needs
Start by thinking about the level of customization you need for your products. If you’re running a store that sells personalized items, like jewelry or apparel, you’ll want an app that offers unlimited custom fields, like Infinite Options or Product Personalizer.These apps allow customers to add text, upload images, and even choose from a wide variety of colors and sizes.
If you only need basic customization, like product bundles or simple add-ons, a more lightweight app such as King Product Options may be sufficient.
2. Conditional Logic
If you need certain product options to appear based on other selections (for example, if a customer selects a specific size or color), look for apps that offer conditional logic. This feature ensures customers see only relevant options, making the buying process smoother and reducing errors. Apps like Bold Product Options and Live Product Options are great for this.
3. Pricing and Budget
Your budget is another crucial factor. While there are free options like King Product Options, premium apps like Bold Product Options or Live Product Options can range from $9 to $49 per month.If you’re just starting out, a free app with essential features might be enough, but larger businesses often benefit from the advanced features of paid apps.
Also, keep an eye out for apps that charge based on usage or offer premium features for larger catalogs, such as Globo Product Options.Some apps also provide add-ons, like charging extra for gift wrapping or custom engraving, which can help boost your revenue.
4. Ease of Integration and Support
You’ll want an app that integrates seamlessly with your existing Shopify store theme and other tools like email marketing platforms or upsell apps. Some apps, like Product Customizer, offer manual installation, but others, like Infinite Options, provide installation support for a fee
Check the app’s customer support options, too. Apps like Globo Product Options are known for offering fast, reliable support, which can be critical if you run into issues during peak shopping times
5. Multicurrency and Global Support
If your store serves customers from multiple countries, you’ll want an app that offers multi-currency support and allows you to handle international purchases. Live Product Options by Cloudlift is an excellent example of an app that supports multiple currencies, making it perfect for global stores
6. Speed and Performance
Lastly, consider how the app might affect your store’s load time. Some apps are more lightweight and won’t slow down your website, while others with advanced features might cause delays, especially during high-traffic periods. Apps like Avis Product Options have reported occasional performance issues so it’s worth testing your store’s speed after installation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What’s the main difference between Shopify’s built-in options and third-party apps?
Shopify’s built-in product options are limited to 100 variants per product and don’t offer advanced features like conditional logic or live preview. Third-party apps, such as Infinite Options or Bold Product Options, allow unlimited variants, customization features, and more flexible configurations, giving store owners more control over the shopping experience
Are there any free Shopify purchase options apps?
Yes! Several great free apps exist, including King Product Options and Variant Option Product Options by Best. These apps offer solid customization tools like text boxes, image uploads, and color swatches, but may lack some of the advanced features offered in paid apps
How do these apps handle custom pricing for different product options?
Many apps, like Bold Product Options and Globo Product Options, allow you to set additional prices for certain options. For example, if a customer chooses custom engraving or premium materials, you can adjust the price automatically based on their selections
Which apps are best for handling product bundles?
If you want to offer product bundles or upsell add-ons, Infinite Options is an excellent choice. It allows you to bundle related items together and offer them at a discount, helping you boost salesBold Product Options also supports bundling with conditional logic to show relevant add-ons
Can these apps support multi-currency for international customers?
Yes, certain apps, like Live Product Options by Cloudlift, support multi-currency, making them ideal for global storesThis feature ensures that customers can view prices and make purchases in their local currency, improving their shopping experience.
How difficult is it to set up these apps?
Most apps are user-friendly, but some, like Product Customizer and Infinite Options, may require manual installation or technical assistance. Many of these apps offer support teams or installation services to help with setup. If you want a smoother experience, look for apps that don’t require theme modifications, like Live Product Options.
Conclusion
Choosing the right Shopify purchase options app can transform how your ecommerce store operates. Whether you’re offering custom product variations, subscriptions, or pre-orders, these apps enable you to provide a better shopping experience and increase your store’s profitability.
For stores that need unlimited product customization, apps like Infinite Options or Globo Product Options can handle complex configurations effortlessly. If you’re looking for dynamic pricing and upsell opportunities, Bold Product Options is a robust choice. And for international stores with global customers, Live Product Options by Cloudlift ensures smooth multi-currency support.
When deciding on an app, consider your store’s specific needs—whether it’s advanced customization, ease of use, or budget constraints. The apps mentioned in this guide provide a wide range of solutions, so you can find the perfect fit for your business.
